How the flower was found
by EvieVixen
Summary: Since someone asked for an origin story, here it is. It's not the greatest thing I've ever written but I hope you enjoy it. Paulie finds and uncovers his soon to be little flower. It is a not romantic story but it is Paulie/OC.


His chest huffed, rising and falling rapidly as he stuck his head around the edge of the building. His eyes captured the scene in front of him, and slowly a grin stretched across his face as the suited men ran the opposite direction of him. He slid out of the crevice and back into the crowded street where he weaved through the crowd. Huffing, he placed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders up.

"Ah, jeez," he muttered, as he lifted a cigar into his mouth and lit it up. "Iceburg-san is going to kill me."

He continued walking, puffing out smoke as he moved along the street. He grumbled slightly as a group of girls moved beside him, their skirts fluttering too close to their butts. Ducking his head, a blush rushed through him and caused his hands to shake. Couldn't they dress better?

By the time that he looked up, he started to look around. The series of buildings in front of him were unrecognizable. The roofs were slanted down, and the cracks stood out prominently, looking like they would soon give out, causing the structure to collapse. Paulie turned his head to the opposite end of the street, where he noticed the vines stretched up over the stone and cradled the concert, perhaps even strangling it. The ground beneath him was aggravated and covered with broken glass and jutting rocks.

Carefully he picked his way through, stumbling every once in a while. His eyebrows scrunched together and his lips tightened around his cigar, dragging it into his mouth. Finally his head locked up and he turned around, looking for the source to the sound that he heard. Staring back at him was just the barren landscape of the neighborhood. Again he moved forward, moving slower this time keeping his ears out for the new sounds. He turned his head slightly to the left as he heard the rocks scatter behind him.

Turning around completely, he curled his knuckles in, and waited. "Hey, come on out. I know you're there."

The noise didn't reappear, but Paulie looked around. The sun bore down, disappearing and reappearing as the clouds floated over it. There was a bright light as the sun finally began to beat down, unstopped by clouds. Suddenly the sound of a bottle rolling came from his left side and Paulie edged nearer; the ropes around his arms, sliding down and settling into his hands. He pressed his back into the jutting concrete of the building, and edged to the corner.

He barely heard the next shift as he turned the corner. "Aha!" he shouted, raising his arms and capturing the person in ropes.

Just as he was about to jump on top of the debt collector, he paused and blinked. Comically he stood there, watching the small little girl scrambled and looked up at him imploringly curious; her large green eyes matching his own befuddled gaze. Paulie watched as the red ringlets curled around her shoulder and mushed into the ground, as she twisted and turned. Even with her arms captured by her sides, she grinned up at him and then suddenly started giggling.

Paulie blinked and slowly crouched down, right over her small little torso. A slow smile stretched across his face, and he slowly unwrapped the rope from around her torso. Sitting her up, he slipped it off of her, and fixed it again within his jacket. Turning his attention back to the little girl he watched carefully, as she leaned forward and clasped onto his jacket sleeve. She tugged it around and pulled it up, leaning her head forward and peering up his sleeve.

His eyes latched to the thick red curls which hung down her back as she played with his sleeve, stretching it and looking up it. He curled his eyes around the slump of her shoulders and the linen bag she wore. Her legs were marred with mud and grime, and her small feet were dirty. Paulie traced his eyes up the suddenly apparent small body, and watched the breaths that she took; her small body moving with each breath. Slowly he pulled tugged his sleeve away from her vice-like grip, and wrapped her up gently in his arms.

"What's your name, huh?" he asked, pulling her up in his arms and watching as her eyes blinked up at him. Her eyes wavered for a moment and then a grin splayed across her face as she snuggled closer. He hoisted her up and moved her around so that her could see her again. "Do you have a name?"

Her lips pinched in, and shook her head. Paulie paused for a moment staring down at her green eyes before he settled her onto his hip and began to walk out of the desolate area. She bumped up with each step that he took, for his grip wasn't very firm, but his strong arm readjusted and pulled her closer so that she wouldn't move so much. Her small head fell down and rested against his shoulder, and slowly her eyes slide closed.

"Do you even understand me?" Paulie finally asked, and her small head shifted so that her chin was on his shoulder and her green eyes looking at him. When she nodded her head affirmatively, he smiled and looked back at the ground. "Well then, do you have anywhere you need to be?"

The small girl shook her head, before settling again and peering out. Paulie also settled into his walk and finally made it back into the hustle and bustle that was Water 7. The girl turned every which way, never stopping to look at just one thing. Her hair finally curled around his nose as she turned her head around to look over his shoulder. She squirmed there.

"Stop," Paulie urged, causing her to stop and look over at him. "You need to sit still."

And she did, but never stopped moving her head. It wasn't until they reached Paulie's slightly run-down apartment, that he let her back on her feet. She moved around for a moment, turning to face the multitude of drawing that covered the walls, and some of the papers that were scattered along the floor. Her small hands picked up one piece, and turned it every which way, tilting her head to better understand it. As Paulie noticed her complacent distraction, he went to his bathroom and started to run the water.

"Screw the bill," he grumbled, and stuck his hand in to make sure that it wasn't so hot for her.

Returning back to the main area, he noticed that somehow she had made it up into his chair. Or half-way at least. Her small, pudgy legs were dangling from side to side, swaying as she tried to use air as her step. Her arms were bent towards her chest and holding her up. The small rag bag that she adorned was riding up, when she finally landed on the chair, stomach down. Paulie couldn't help but chuckle, as he watched her shift around and finally stand up. She cautiously took a step forward, until her hands reached the wood of his desk.

"Hey," he called, and her small head whipped towards him. Her green eyes widened slightly, whilst he moved quickly and snatched her up into his arms again so that he could move her into the bathroom for her shower. "You're a trouble maker, aren't you?"

The small girl gripped onto his jacket, and when her feet landed on the cold tile she pulled him down with her. Finally kneeling at her level, Paulie marveled slightly at the little girl's strength. She smiled and slowly leaned forward; her chubby arms barely reaching all the away around his neck, but none-the-less it was a hug. One of his hands was enough to cover the whole of her back, but he pulled her deep into his arms and let her stay protected there.

"I think Hana is a good name for you, don't you?" he whispered down into her hair. She looked up at him, pulling away slightly and once again matched his gaze. "Red hair like rose; green eyes like carnations, and sweet little personality."

Her lips pulled back into a smile and another giggle slowly came out. Paulie marveled at the bright little grin that she had, and slowly couldn't help but chuckle along with her.


End file.
